Buffer reservoir for a liquid-ink writing instrument, and a writing instrument including such a reservoir
First Claim
1. A buffer reservoir for a writing instrument containing a liquid ink, comprising:
- the form of a compact block made of an open-pore material based on microbeads, wherein a first portion of said microbeads is hydrophobic relative to said ink and a second portion of said microbeads is hydrophilic relative to said ink.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A buffer reservoir suitable for absorbing surplus ink and a writing instrument including the buffer reservoir are provided. The buffer reservoir includes a mixture of microbeads that are hydrophobic relative to the ink and microbeads that are hydrophilic relative to the ink. The mixture of microbeads may either be uniform throughout the entire volume of the buffer reservoir, or non-uniform throughout the entire volume of the buffer reservoir, with the proportion of hydrophilic microbeads to hydrophobic microbeads being smaller in the zone immediately in contact with the feed tip and larger in the zone farthest away from the feed tip. Preferably, the proportion of hydrophilic microbeads is in the range of about 2% to about 10%, by weight, relative to the total weight of the buffer reservoir. The writing instrument includes a reservoir for liquid ink, a feed tip opening out into the reservoir, and a buffer reservoir.
28 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A buffer reservoir for a writing instrument containing a liquid ink, comprising:
the form of a compact block made of an open-pore material based on microbeads, wherein a first portion of said microbeads is hydrophobic relative to said ink and a second portion of said microbeads is hydrophilic relative to said ink. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A writing instrument comprising:
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a buffer reservoir; a reservoir for a liquid ink; and a feed tip opening out into the reservoir; wherein said buffer reservoir is constructed and arranged to absorb surplus ink from said ink reservoir and to return surplus ink to said ink reservoir, said buffer reservoir comprising microbeads, wherein a portion of said microbeads are hydrophobic relative to said liquid ink and another portion of said microbeads are hydrophilic relative to said liquid ink, said buffer reservoir fitting snugly around said feed tip and being coaxial therewith. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification